Absorbent articles of personal hygiene for absorption of body fluids such as menses or blood or vaginal discharges are known in the art. Typical examples include sanitary napkins, panty liners, tampons, interlabial devices, as well as wound dressings, and the like.
When considering for example sanitary napkins, these articles typically comprise a liquid pervious topsheet as wearer facing layer, a backsheet as garment facing layer and an absorbent core between topsheet and backsheet. The body fluids are acquired through the topsheet and subsequently stored in the absorbent core. The backsheet typically prevents the absorbed fluids from wetting the wearer's garment.
An absorbent core can typically comprise one or more absorbent materials such as for example natural or synthetic absorbent fibers, foams and/or superabsorbent materials, such as absorbent gelling materials (AGM), usually in finely dispersed form, e.g. typically in particulate form. Conventional superabsorbent materials known in the art for use in absorbent articles typically comprise water insoluble, water swellable, hydrogel forming crosslinked absorbent polymers which are capable of absorbing large quantities of liquids and of retaining such absorbed liquids under pressure. In general, absorbent articles comprising conventional AGM commonly have good absorption and retention characteristics to water and urine; however, there still remains room for improvement for absorption and retention towards certain liquids. In particular, proteinaceous or serous body fluids such as typically menses, blood, plasma, vaginal secretions, mucus or milk, require more time to be effectively absorbed by the AGM and consequently, especially in case of large amount of fluids, these might not be retained by the article and may leak outside.
In some cases the absorbent core of an absorbent article (as in the so called “thick” pads) does not contain superabsorbent polymers but bases its absorption properties on the absorption capacity of fibers as cellulose, viscose or rayon. In these case the lack of a superabsorbent polymer which immobilizes the fluid, even if compensated by a larger amount of absorbent fibers, may also lead to leakage or rewet phenomena.
Therefore in some cases it may be desirable to provide absorbent articles which are able to prevent leakage of body fluids, especially proteinaceous body fluids, even in the case when large amounts of fluids are discharged and even in article which do not contain superabsorbent polymers.